tā dúchàng de shíhou búyòng yuánchàng.

When she sings a solo, she does not need the original vocal track.

Breakdown of tā dúchàng de shíhou búyòng yuánchàng.

• 她tā: she
• 的de: structural particle
• 时候shíhou: time
• 不用búyòng: need not; do not need to

Questions & Answers about tā dúchàng de shíhou búyòng yuánchàng.

What does 独唱 mean here? Is it a verb or a noun?

独唱 literally means to sing solo or solo singing.

In this sentence, it functions like a verb:

• 她独唱的时候 = when she sings solo

Chinese words often have flexible word classes, so 独唱 can also be a noun in other contexts:

• 这是她的独唱。 = This is her solo.

So here, the most natural understanding is verbal: she performs alone / she sings solo.

What does 的时候 mean?

的时候 means when, at the time when, or during the time when.

It turns the phrase before it into a time expression:

• 她独唱的时候 = when she sings solo
• more literally: at the time that she sings solo

This is a very common pattern in Mandarin:

verb phrase + 的时候

Examples:

• 我吃饭的时候 = when I eat / while I’m eating
• 你来的时候 = when you came / when you come

Why is there a 的 in 独唱的时候?